159: Return to Wutan City

Deep within the Inner Courtyard of Canaan Academy, Mo Yuhan's tranquil courtyard was bustling like a marketplace. Beneath the swaying shadows of the purple bamboo, the chirping of orioles and swallows interwove, and undercurrents surged.

"No! Absolutely not!"

Mo Yuhan clutched his forehead, feeling a headache a hundred times worse than facing Yue Mei's pursuit.

Before him, Xiao Yu stood with her hands on her hips, her honey-colored face flushed with excitement, her full bosom, encased in tight leather armor, heaving violently, almost touching Mo Yuhan's nose.

"Why not? Can't I, your older sister, protect you? You dared to venture into a hellish place like the Tagor Desert, what danger could there be in returning to Wutan City? Besides, I also need to go home."

Xiao Yu's voice carried an undeniable assertiveness, and she habitually reached out an arm to loop around Mo Yuhan's neck, her strength carrying her unique scorching scent of sunshine and sweat.

Mo Yuhan agilely dodged, saying helplessly, "Senior Sister Xiao Yu, I'm going home, not on an adventure. Besides..."

His gaze swept over the bright, expectant eyes in the courtyard.

"Junior Brother Yu Han!"

Lin Fei, like a kitten whose tail had been stepped on, twirled her goose-yellow skirt and directly squeezed past Xiao Yu by half a body length. Her small face was upturned, and a mist of grievance quickly clouded her bright eyes.

Her small hand tightly gripped Mo Yuhan's sleeve, "Just take me with you! I promise to be good and not cause you any trouble. I haven't really explored Wutan City yet; I heard the marketplace there is very lively!"

Her voice was sweet and childish, with an intentionally drawn-out ending, and her body leaned bonelessly against Mo Yuhan, attempting to dismantle his defenses with a spoiled offensive.

To the side, Xue Mei stood quietly, her moon-white dress accentuating her cold, snow-like demeanor.

She didn't speak, but her icy-blue eyes gazed unblinkingly at Mo Yuhan, filled with silent pleading and a trace of imperceptible disappointment.

When Mo Yuhan's gaze met hers, she slightly lowered her eyelids, her long eyelashes casting faint shadows on her fair cheeks. That quiet, unspoken desire was harder to refuse than Lin Fei's clamor.

Xue Ni and Xiao Meier had been cultivating earlier and rushed over as soon as they heard Mo Yuhan had returned.

Xiao Meier pouted reluctantly, "Young Master, are you abandoning me?"

Xue Ni, more boisterous, threw her arm around Xiao Xuner's and also chimed in, "Exactly, exactly, Junior Brother Yu Han, the more the merrier! Take us with you!"

She glanced at the ethereal Xiao Xuner beside her, with a hint of encouragement.

Xiao Xuner's lips held a faint, almost imperceptible, shallow smile, like a budding green lotus.

She wasn't as eager as the others, but when her deep, pond-like eyes fell on Mo Yuhan, they shimmered with a strange, all-knowing brilliance.

She gently patted Xue Ni's hand, signaling her to calm down, but her gaze never left Mo Yuhan, carrying a hint of inquiry and a deeper meaning.

In the corner, Mo Linglin huddled on the cold stone steps, her fiery red palace dress like a dying ember.

She buried her head deep in her knees, oblivious to the surrounding noise, but her body trembled uncontrollably.

Every time she heard Mo Yuhan's name, every time she felt the undisguised closeness of those women to him, it was like cold needles piercing her already scarred heart.

Humiliation and despair, like icy poisonous vines, wrapped around her, almost suffocating her.

"Sigh..."

A sigh filled with deep helplessness sounded. Instructor Ruo Lin walked out of the house, clutching her forehead, her water-blue everyday clothes unable to hide the fatigue in her brows.

"Alright, stop making noise, all of you."

Her voice was gentle yet carried the authority of an instructor, instantly quieting the chattering girls.

"The Inner Courtyard selection competition is just around the corner; this is the most important matter concerning your future. With your current strength,"

Her gaze swept over Xiao Yu, Lin Fei, Xue Mei, Xue Ni, and Xiao Meier, "Except for Xuner, who has a good chance, the rest of you still need some hard cultivation to enter the Inner Courtyard. Yu Han is returning home to visit relatives and handle important matters, not to sightsee. If you insist on going with him, you will not only delay his journey but also waste your own precious cultivation time."

Ruo Lin's words were like a bucket of cold water, extinguishing the flames in Lin Fei's and Xue Ni's eyes.

Xiao Yu pouted, though unwilling, she knew Ruo Lin was speaking the truth.

She glared fiercely at Mo Yuhan, with a hint of petulance, "Fine, fine! You stinky brat, when you come back, if I can't enter the Inner Courtyard, I'm holding you responsible!"

Lin Fei pouted, her eyes redder, but she finally stopped pestering him, only tightening her grip on Mo Yuhan's sleeve before reluctantly letting go.

The disappointment in Xue Mei's eyes deepened, but she merely nodded gently at Mo Yuhan, silently conveying her understanding.

Xiao Xuner's smile deepened a fraction, as if she had already anticipated this outcome.

She nodded slightly at Mo Yuhan, her voice clear and ethereal, "Junior Brother Yu Han, have a safe journey. Come back soon."

That "Junior Brother" was spoken so naturally, carrying an indescribable intimacy that made Xiao Yu and Lin Fei, standing nearby, turn their heads in surprise.

Mo Yuhan's heart stirred slightly, and he returned Xiao Xuner's smile, "Thank you, Senior Sister Xuner."

His gaze swept over everyone, finally resting on Ah Yin, who had been standing quietly beside Ruo Lin.

Ah Yin wore a simple, elegant light-green long dress, like a secluded orchid in a valley, her emerald-like eyes warm and serene, carrying a comforting power.

She gave Mo Yuhan a shallow smile, everything understood without words.

"Qing Lin, take good care of the home." Mo Yuhan ruffled the head of Qing Lin, who had been following him closely like a small tail.

Little Qing Lin's emerald eyes were full of reluctance, but she still nodded vigorously, "Mm! Young Master, don't worry! Qing Lin will watch the courtyard and wait for Young Master and Sister Ah Yin to return!"

As for Mo Linglin in the corner... Mo Yuhan didn't even spare her a glance.

Her existence was like an unsightly pebble in the courtyard, unnoticed by anyone.

Finally escaping the "encirclement" of the girls, Mo Yuhan, accompanied by Ah Yin, stepped into the spatial wormhole returning to Wutan City.

As the familiar air, carrying faint scents of grass and trees and the smoke of the common folk, filled his nostrils, Mo Yuhan's taut heartstrings finally completely relaxed.

Deep in the back mountains of the Xiao Family, the secluded small courtyard remained peaceful. Pushing open the courtyard gate, two unforgettable figures instantly came into view.

"Auntie! Little Fairy Doctor Sister!" Mo Yuhan's voice carried the excitement of a long-awaited reunion.

Bibi Dong still wore a simple, plain long dress, yet it could not conceal her graceful bearing, accustomed to a high position.

Time seemed to have left few traces on her exquisite face, only a lingering weariness in her brows and the subtle pain from damaged meridians.

Seeing Mo Yuhan, her deep, amethyst-like eyes instantly brightened, and the majesty that once belonged to a Saintess quietly melted away.

Only pure, elder's love and joy remained.

"Han'er!" Bibi Dong quickly stepped forward, reaching out a cool hand to gently caress Mo Yuhan's cheek, examining him carefully, her voice carrying a barely perceptible tremor, "You've gotten thinner... and taller. It's good to have you back, it's good to have you back."